Jasper County: Discover Prairies, Forests and Trails
Accommodation in Jasper County
Jasper County combines untouched prairie, wooded hills, lakes and a variety of attractions. When planning your trip, you can choose between active days on trails and the water, nature observation, family-friendly experiences and cultural and historical discoveries. A vacation rental or vacation home in the county can be selected according to your preferred focus for the trip.
Prairie, Forest and Trails
Rock Creek State Park has a five-mile bike trail connected to Grinnell. The park concessionaire also rents boats and equipment for paddling sports. This makes the park a practical starting point for a stay in which you would like to combine cycling and water activities.
A distinctive landscape experience is the A.C. and Lela Morris Prairie. It is one of the few remaining areas of original tallgrass prairie in Jasper County. Ashton Wildwood Park is home to 113 acres of hardwood forest consisting of oak and hickory trees in the hill country. A self-guided, half-mile trail leads through the area; a brochure at the trailhead explains the route. The observatory in the park offers free public programs.
The 450-acre Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve is also an important natural area as both a park and nature preserve. Ahrens Access provides the public with opportunities for fishing. The preserve is located a quarter mile north of the Lynnville exit on I-80. Kish-Ke-Kosh Prairie preserves an original, unplowed prairie reserve on wind-deposited sand and loess from Iowa's last Ice Age. It is named after Chief Kish-Ke-Kosh, the leader of a Fox group associated with Chiefs Black Hawk and Keokuk.
Lakes, Recreation and Family Experiences
Mariposa Recreation Area covers 151 acres and includes an 18-acre lake between pine-covered hills. Activities here include fishing, camping, picnicking and hiking. A nature playground adds to the amenities for children. For a stay with different daily rhythms, you can include active outings and more relaxed hours by the water in your travel plans.
The 480-acre Quarry Springs Park, with its lakes, is located near Colfax. Activities there include largemouth bass fishing, canoeing and kayaking; kayaks are rented during the summer months. In Colfax itself, Colfax Women's Club Park has a playground, a shelter and a stage. Those who would also like to play golf will find a nine-hole course at Colfax Country Club measuring 2,980 yards from the longest tees and having a par of 36.
Culture, History and Special Destinations
Wagaman Mill, also known as Old Mill, was built in 1848. It was used as a sawmill, carding mill, gristmill, feed mill and power-generating facility. The route there is via I-80 exit 179, followed by T-38 south. The campus of the Jasper County Historical Society also includes an agricultural building.
The Colfax Historical Society and Museum displays exhibits on the historical bottling of mineral water in Colfax, hotel advertising, souvenirs and memorabilia. Other exhibits include a canvas tent house once made in Colfax, a vintage automobile and a fiberglass buffalo. Colfax's artesian mineral springs were discovered in 1875. The Jasper County Fair has been held in Colfax since 1936 and is a completely free community fair. Van Wijk Winery is located on the Heartland/I-80 Wine Trail.
Choose Accommodation According to Your Travel Plans
When looking for a vacation rental in Jasper County, you can first determine which experiences should shape your stay. Those who want to focus on trails, prairie and nature preserves can take the location of the attractions and access to I-80 into account when planning. For a trip involving water activities, the lakes and parks described above provide important reference points. Families can also include the nature playground at Mariposa Recreation Area or Colfax Women's Club Park in their plans.
Newton also has its own distinctive character: There, an eight-mile hiking and biking trail connects Maytag Park, Aurora Park, Agnes Patterson Park or Newton Arboretum, and Woodland Park. The Iowa Speedway in Newton is a paved tri-oval racetrack measuring seven-eighths of a mile and is a motorsports facility. It can be reached via Interstate 80, exit 168, and then Iowa Speedway Drive. This allows you to balance nature days, local discoveries and motorsports according to your interests before choosing your accommodation.
For the broader travel overview: Iowa.
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